Florida Food Freedom Act - Act Now!

The Florida Food Freedom Act would allow local farms to sell their produce and products directly to us without requiring them to build an expensive "processing" facility, as is currently required. Please read the following description of the bill, as provided by the good people at Green Acres Farm in Walnut Hill, Florida. Hopefully, you will be moved to contact your state legislators and let them know you WANT the option to support local farms, to buy natural produce and products directly from the hands who raise them.

There is a Bill in the Florida Senate, Bill S1900- Florida Food Freedom Act. The purpose of this bill is to exempt small farms, who sell directly to consumers, from some current regulation requirements that are cost prohibitive. Currently to sell any "processed food" (washed eggs, cracked pecans, honey...) in the state of Florida a farmer has to build a facility that meets the Florida Department of Consumer Services- Minimum Construction Requirements. My estimation to build such a facility is about $25,000. That's a hell of a lot of eggs. This bill exempts farmers selling directly to the consumer from this requirement as well as some of the other permit fees currently required. By enacting this bill we will be opening up the availability of locally produced food to Florida Consumers as well as strengthening the stability of Florida's economy. When you buy food from a chain store, much of that money leaves the state, going to the producers in other states and countries as well as going to the chain owners. As we constantly shipping that money out of our community, we are constantly faced with the question of how we can get others to spend their money in our community. This sets up a continually stress economic situation. When you buy locally produced foods and other products, the money you spend continues to circulate in your community thus adding stability to your local economy. This bill effectively reinstates some of our rights by allowing small farmers to once again produce and sell within their own community, begins to strengthen our local economy while encouraging more environmentally sound commerce by reducing the amount of fuel involved to get food to consumers and does all that without requiring the government to spend a dime of taxpayer money. Please don't let this slip through the cracks.

For more information on this Bill and Green Acres Farm, check out their page on Facebook. Your support is greatly appreciated! Farms like Green Acres provide a healthy, sustainable food source that benefit our families, our communities and the environment.